Pushing TMY in T-Max Developer (2 stops)

[kodachrome64]

I can't seem to find any info on pushing the new T-Max 400 (135) in T-Max developer with a 1:7 or 1:9 dilution. I have had good results with this film/dev at box speed at higher dilutions, and I would like to do either stand or semi-stand development due to a high contrast situation. I developed one roll in XTOL 1:3 for 18 minutes with minimal agitation and they were undeveloped. My first choice is T-Max developer but I also have D-76, XTOL, and HC-110. I like T-Max developer with T-Max films more than the others. I also found XTOL really hard to mix and have had consistency problems with it. Does anyone know how I might get a starting time for TMY @ EI 1600 in T-Max 1:7 or 1:9 for minimal agitation/semi-stand?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[jeroldharter]

I am no expert in this, and have never done stand development, but isn't one of the purposes of stand development to deal with scenes of high SBR (scene brightness range? In other words contracted development. I don't know why you would use that method for expanded development (pushing). Please tell me because I might not know. When I push TMAX to that level of N+2, I use a more concentrated developer, i.e. TMAX RS developer at 1:4 dilution.

 

[kodachrome64]

I want to allow the developer to have maximum compensating effect, allowing the shadows to be developed more than the highlights. It was a very contrasty scene in which I shot the roll, and pushing the film naturally increases the contrast anyway. The compensating effect of the developer will develop the shadows more than the highlights if the agitation (and dilution I suppose). That's the way I understand it anyhow.

 

[kodachrome64]

One successful combination

I went ahead and tried a combination and I think it worked quite well for what I was looking for. I had a roll of TMY shot at 1600 in a high contrast situation (indoors with light coming in through windows). I processed in T-Max Developer 1:9 at 24 degrees for 26 minutes, agitated for the first 30 seconds and let the roll stand with no agitation from that point forward. I was happy with the level of shadow detail in the negatives, even though I'm going to keep searching for a combination that will tame the highlights even more. Again, this is a very tricky lighting situation. Here is one of the frames:

Thanks,
Nick